PREFACE

All praise be to Allah I, there is no doubt that today throughout the

world there is a general spiritual awakening in the Ummah. Several
factors have been responsible for this; one of the most important and
obvious one being the work of Da’wah which has reached every
corner of the world.
It is essential for Muslims to know and understand the commandments
of Allah I which are imposed on their daily lives, and what must be
implemented from the practical teachings and demonstrations by
Rasulullah r.
Certain Islamic laws are directed exclusively at women. But these same
laws are what women are not aware of, not because of ignorance but
because of modesty and shyness, which prevent them from asking
others about these laws. Unfortunately, men also pay very little
attention to such laws, because they are not affected by them directly.
Thus, these laws have been compiled in the form of a booklet under
separate headings. Such a booklet is greatly needed.
This booklet can be used as a handy reference book and we feel that
every female should have this booklet in her possession so that she can
refer to it as and when the need arises. We do not restrict it’s learning to
adult women, but also young girls should also be taught these laws.
Throughout the book the term “MAS'ALAH” has been used as a
preposition. As its use denotes, it means “issue” or “law”.

NOTE: Only lunar months and years are taken into consideration in Islamic
matters, therefore, whenever the terms months or years are mentioned in
this booklet reference to them is made.

Please do not abuse this booklet as it contains verses of the Qur’an.

Keep it in a safe place.
CONTENTS
Preface.......................................................................................2
Bulugh (Puberty)..........................................................................4
Haidh (Menstruation Or Monthly Periods).....................................4
Few Mas'alah Regarding Wudhu ..................................................6
Points To Remember....................................................................7
Haidh and Salah ..........................................................................13
Haidh and Saum (Fasting) .............................................................16
Haidh, Hajj and Umrah ................................................................17
Haidh and the Qur’an ..................................................................19
Haidh and Dhikr ..........................................................................20
Haidh and the Masjid ...................................................................21
Haidh and the Husband ...............................................................22
Haidh and Miscarriage ..................................................................23
Bath after Haidh ..........................................................................23
Nifaas (Post-Natal Bleeding) ........................................................24
Nifaas and Salah ..........................................................................27
Nifaas and Saum (Fasting) .............................................................28
Nifaas, Hajj and Umrah ................................................................29
Nifaas and Dhikr ..........................................................................30
Nifaas and the Masjid ...................................................................31
Nifaas and the Husband ...............................................................31
Nifaas and Miscarriage ..................................................................31
Bath after Nifaas ..........................................................................31
Istihadhah (Bleeding due to Illness )................................................32
Janabah (Impurity due to Sexual Intercourse)..................................3 7
Woman And Satr...........................................................................3 9
Women And Her Dressing.............................................................42
Women And Hijab (Veil)................................................................42
Women And Haya (Modesty).........................................................43
Women And Children...................................................................4 3
Women And The Husband............................................................4 4
Women And Parents.....................................................................4 5
Women And Chastity (Faithfulness/purity)......................................4 6
Iddah After Divorce And Separation...............................................46
Iddah After Husband's Death.........................................................4 7
Prophetic Advice..........................................................................4 7
PUBERTY( BULUGH)
MAS'ALAH 1 : In accordance to Shari’ah when a person attains puberty
they are called Baligh. No girl is regarded as Baligh before the age of nine.

MAS'ALAH 2 : A girl is Baligh (matured) if she experiences any of the

following:
a. The monthly Period Menstruation (Haidh) begins.
b. In her dream she experiences carnal indulgence and she finds
seminal discharge. This is known as Ihtilam (wet dream).
c. She has no menstruation. But becomes pregnant.

MAS'ALAH 3 : If the above signs are not evident, when the girl reaches the
age of fifteen, she will be regarded as having reached the age of puberty.

MAS'ALAH 4 : On reaching the age of puberty, all the principles of

Islam, such as Salaah, Saum, etc. become Fardh (obligatory) on her. If
she disobeys or neglects any, then she becomes a sinner and will be
held answerable for it.

MAS'ALAH 5 : If a girl attains puberty before the age of fifteen and

experiences Ihtilam (wet dream) it would become Wajib (compulsory)
upon her to have Ghusl (bath).

HAIDH (MENSTRUATION OR MONTHLY PERIOD)

MAS'ALAH 1 : The vaginal bleeding which a woman generally
experiences monthly is called Haidh and Islam has prescribed special
laws for it.

MAS'ALAH 2 : A girl below the age of nine years does not normally get
periods. If such a girl notices blood, it is not Haidh, but Istihadhah,
meaning bleeding due to illness.
MAS'ALAH 3 : Normally a woman does not menstruate after the age of
fifty five years (menopause). But if she gets red or black blood, it is
Haidh; however, if the blood is yellow, green or muddy coloured (i.e.
any colour besides red and black), it is not Haidh, provided she never
experienced this colour during any of her earlier periods. If she did see
any of these colours during her earlier periods, then it would also be
counted as Haidh. If the colour of the blood is different from that of the
blood during her earlier periods, then this is not Haidh but Istihadhah.
If the colour of blood was white then it will be Istihadhah, (white blood
is never counted as Haidh).

MAS'ALAH 4 : In order to protect her body and clothes from impurity

during periods, it is mustahab (preferable) and sunnah for a woman to
use cotton wool, sanitary pads or a piece of clothing to cover her
private parts. These items are called Khursuf.

MAS'ALAH 5 : The colour of the khursuf when wet is the deciding

factor which will help to determine whether the bleeding is Haidh or
Istihadhah, e.g. if. the khursuf is red when wet and white after drying,
then it is a sign of Haidh; if it is white when wet and yellow after drying,
then it is not Haidh, but Istihadhah.

MAS'ALAH 6 : During Haidh sometimes there is a tint of whiteness in

the blood. If the blood is more red in colour (than white), then it is
Haidh; if it is more whitish in colour, then it is Istihadhah.

MAS'ALAH 7 : If a woman is sure that the flow of blood is not from the
vagina, but from some wound or from the anus, then the bleeding is
not Haidh, but Istihadhah.

MAS'ALAH 8 : As soon as the blood appears on the skin immediately

outside the vagina, Haidh has started even if blood does not flow out
beyond this. If someone keeps cotton wool or something similar inside
the vagina which prevents the blood from flowing out, then as long as
the blood remains inside the vagina and not a single drop is seen on the
outside end of the cotton wool, etc., then this is not yet regarded as
Haidh. The time of Haidh will only start when blood comes out on the
skin immediately outside the vagina or when the cotton wool, etc. is
removed from the vagina and it is found to be stained with blood.

MAS'ALAH 9 : If a woman who is ceremonially pure puts on sanitary

pads. etc. at night and in the morning when she removes it, she finds it
to be blood-stained, then her Haidh starts only at the time when she
notices the blood (i.e. on removal of the Khursuf).

MAS'ALAH 10 : If a menstruating woman notices no sign of blood on

her khursuf, then the clean period will be counted from when the
khursuf was applied.

MAS'ALAH 11 : It is makruh for a menstruating woman to bath a dead

person.

MAS'ALAH 12 : A woman experiencing Haidh or Nifaas or a person in

the state of Janabah should excuse themself from the place where a
deceased is laid.

FEW MAS'ALAH REGARDING WUDHU

MAS'ALAH 1 : If flour or anything else which is permiable gathers

underneath the nails and it dries up, then it is necessary that the water
penetrates through when making wudhu or ghusl. If the water does not
pass through, then the wudhu or ghusI would not be considered to be
performed (complete). If nail polish, varnish, paint, etc. (i.e. Anything
which does not allow water to pass through) is applied onto the nails,
then wudhu or ghusI would not be counted until it is removed.

MAS'ALAH 2 : A sticky fluid, resembling mucus, which flows from the

vagina due to some illness, is unclean and invalidates the wudhu (not
ghusl).

MAS'ALAH 3 : If the sex organ of the husband touches the sex organ of'
the wife without any covering in between, then the wudhu of both will
break, but if the tip of the male sex organ enters into the female sex
organ so much, that the head of the male sex organ is not visible then
ghusl becomes compulsory.

MAS'ALAH 4 : Wudhu will not break if one sees one’s own private parts
or glances at the private parts of someone else. But it should be
remembered that it is sinful to look at the satr of another person.

MAS'ALAH 5 : If water comes out from the breast and pain is

experienced, then it is impure and wudhu will break. If there is no pain
then it is clean and wudhu does not break.

MAS'ALAH 6 : When performing wudhu one should ensure that the

elbows, heels and ankles are wet, otherwise the wudhu will be
incomplete.

MAS'ALAH 7 : If water does not penetrate under one’s ring, then it is

wajib to move it when performing wudhu and if it is loose and water
reaches under it, then it is mustahab to move it.

POINTS TO REMEMBER AND IMPORTANT NOTES

ON ACTUAL SALAAH TIMES.
(The reason for this labeling will be understood in the issues to come).

a. The minimum period for Haidh is three days and three nights
(seventy two hours). If bleeding is for less than this period, it is not
Haidh, but Istihadhah.
b. Continuous flow of blood is not necessary for Haidh. If blood
 flowed for a while in the beginning, then stopped, and flowed
again on the second or third day, then according to shari’ah it is
regarded as one continuous menstrual flow.
c. The maximum period of Haidh is ten days and ten nights (two
hundred and forty hours.) Bleeding beyond this is not Haidh, but
Istihadhah.
d. According to the Shariah, the minimum period of remaining clean
between two Haidh is fifteen days, there is no limit to the
maximum period. A woman is considered ceremonially pure for as
long as she does not experience Haidh even if it be for months.
e. In so far as Haidh and Nifaas (bleeding after childbirth) are
concerned, Islam takes into consideration a woman's prevailing
habit. A woman who gets Haidh or Nifaas (in the instance of not
experiencing Haidh) for the first time is called a MUBTADI’AH and
a woman who has experienced either Haidh or Nifaas before is
called MU’TADAH. Laws for both are different in many instances.
f. Purity and impurity (according to Islamic imposed guidelines) are
of two types; HAQIQI and HUKMI.

1 . Sometimes a woman may bleed but shari’ah would not regard it as

Haidh. This is called Hukmi purity. For example, if a mubtadi’ah
bleeds for fifteen days, the first ten days would be regarded as
Haidh and the other five days as Istihadhah. The purity in these five
days would be Hukmi purity.
2. Sometimes a woman does not bleed but yet shari’ah regards it as
menstruation. This is called Hukmi impurity. For example a woman
bleeds for a day and the bleeding stops for five days and then she
again bleeds for a day. All these seven days would be regarded as
one menstrual flow. The impurity in the five days would be Hukmi
and the impurity on the first and seventh day Haqiqi.

Now, keeping the above six points in mind, the following laws
should be studied.
MAS’ALAH 1 : If a young girl experiences bleeding for the first time,
then it should be observed whether it continues for three days and
three nights (72 hours). If it does, then it is Haidh.

MAS'ALAH 2 : If bleeding continues for more than three days and

three nights and stops at any time within ten days and ten nights (240
hours.), then it all would be Haidh.

MAS’ALAH 3 : If bleeding continued for more than ten days and ten
nights then the ten days and ten nights will be Haidh and the bleeding
beyond it is Istihadhah. Since any bleeding beyond ten full days is
Istihadhah. She should take a bath after ten days and start her salaah.
But if a woman is a mu’tada (one who has a prevailing, set Haidh
period) and bleeding continues beyond her habit, then it should be
seen, if it stops within ten days, all of it is Haidh and if it continues after
ten days, then only the days of her habit would be regarded as Haidh
and the days after that is Istihadhah. Therefore, she should perform
qadha salaah for the days beyond her habit. If she has a habit of seven
days and she bled for twelve days then only seven days would be
Haidh and the rest Istihadhah. But if she bled for nine or ten days only
then all of it is Haidh. (Refer to “Haidh and salaah” - MAS'ALAH 6)

MAS'ALAH 4 : If a mubtadi’ah keeps bleeding continuously for a few

months, then in every month ten days from the day when bleeding
started, these are of Haidh and the remaining nineteen to twenty days
are of Istihadhah e.g. if bleeding started on the fifth of a particular
month, the days between the fifth and the fifteenth of every month are
of Haidh and the remainder are days of Istihadhah.

MAS'ALAH 5 : If a woman notices blood for three full days and three
nights or more, or any number of days up to ten days and ten nights
and then remains clean for full fifteen days or more, and again sees
blood for three or more days then both bleedings are of Haidh and the
days in between are regarded as a period of purity.
MAS'ALAH 6 : If a woman notices blood for three days and three nights
or more and then remains clean for fifteen days or more and again sees
blood for less than three days then the first bleeding was Haidh while
the second bleeding is Istihadhah because the bleeding was for less
than three days although the period of purity was for fifteen days.

MAS’ALAH 7 : If a woman notices blood for less than three days and
three nights and after a full fifteen days or more, sees blood again for
less than three days then both bleedings are called Istihadhah and she
will be regarded as clean for all these days. As soon as the bleeding
stops within three days, she should make wudhu and start her salaah
during the last stages (end part) of mustahab (preferable) time (i.e. just
before makruh time). She must also offer Qadha salaah for those days
which she has missed while she was bleeding.

MAS'ALAH 8 : A mubtadi’ah should stop salaah as soon as she notices

blood. If bleeding continues for three days and nights, then it is
definitely Haidh. After this, if bleeding stops within ten days or if she
notices white matter, then she should take a bath and start her salaah.
This period for which the bleeding continued is now established as her
HABIT e.g. if she had seven days of Haidh and then remained pure for
23 days, then according to shariah these seven days would be regarded
as her Haidh habit and the 23 days as her clean habit. But if this course
changes e.g. bleeding continues for nine days and she stays clean for
20 days, then this is called change in habit. Nine days will now be
regarded as her new habit. Thus, every previous course is
considered as the habit for the course that follows it. Many laws
depend upon this habit. In order that her faraidh may be performed
correctly, it is advisable for her to keep a note book recording her habit,
with columns drawn under separate headings as illustrated below. This
will be a great help in the event of problems arising due to change of
habit or forgetting it later on.
 Date when Date on which Total No. of Total No. of
No. bleeding commenced bleeding stopped days of haidh clean days

1 5th Muharaam 1399 12th Muharaam 7 23

2 6th Safar 1399 11th Safar 5 25

3 4th Rabiul Awwal 1399

If a woman takes up the task of continuously enters her above details

regularly, then she will Insha-Allah benefit greatly from it in the long
run. A similar table for Nifaas could be drawn up as follows:
Beginning of Last day of Total days Name of
No. Nifaas Nifaas of bleeding child

1 5th Muharaam 1399 10th Safar 1399 35 Zaid

If a woman forgets her habit and if Istihadhah begins, the laws in such a
case are quite complicated and this must be referred to an Alim for
clarification. Such a woman is known in the shariah as Mutahayyarah.

MAS'ALAH 9 : If blood appeared for one day or more and she

remained in a state of purity for less than fifteen days, then the whole
period will be regarded as unclean and continuous flow, e.g. she bled
on the first of a certain month then remained clean for fourteen days
and then bled again for one day. The whole sixteen days from the first
bleeding will be regarded as continuous bleeding. If she is a
mubtadi’ah, then the first ten days will be counted as Haidh and the
remaining six as Istihadhah. Now, if she had started salaah after she
bled for one day only, thinking that it was nothing and then finding out
later that her first ten days were of Haidh and that she had read salaah
for full fifteen days in this condition, then she will have to offer qadha
salaah from the eleventh day onwards, because she should have taken
a bath after the tenth day. Therefore, for safety, such a woman should
take a bath after ten days, even if she had taken a bath after bleeding
stopped on the first day, so that the remaining salaah after the ten days
will not go unaccounted. If she had kept fardh fasts during the ten days,
then those will not be valid and she will have to offer qadha fasts
because those were days of Haidh.

MAS'ALAH 10 : If a Mutahayyarah (a woman with no fixed habit or

forgotten habit) remained ceremonially pure and did not bleed for
fifteen days, it is regarded as purity according to shariah and she is no
longer a Mutahayyarah but is now TAHIRAH (clean woman). Now, if
she bleeds for three or more days, it is Haidh, and a new habit will be
started. If it is for less than three days, it is Istihadhah and she remains a
Mutahayyarah.

MAS'ALAH 11: If Haidh continues according to habit but there is

variation in the number of clean days, then this change does not in any
way interfere with the laws concerning the Haidh habit, e.g. Haidh was
for seven days and the clean period was for twenty two days or Haidh
was for seven days and the clean period was for either twenty or
twenty five days, then the Haidh habit still remains the same.

MAS'ALAH 12 : If the Haidh habit happens to keep changing it is

necessary for the woman to keep on checking the khursuf every salaah
time on the last days of Haidh. If it is stained, then she should change it
so that this will give her an idea during the next salaah time whether the
bleeding has stopped or not. In this way no problems will arise
regarding salaah. Again, if the bleeding gets disrupted or if it turns out
to be Istihadhah, it then becomes necessary for her to learn the
beginning and ending times of the mustahab and makruh times of
salaah because these will be applied in many laws.

ACTUAL PRAYER TIMES.

It is necessary to have an Islamic calendar/timetable in the house
which gives the various times of salaah etc.

HAIDH
HAIDH AND SALAAH
MAS'ALAH 1 : Salaah is not permissible during Haidh. Therefore do not
perform it when menstruating. There is no qadha for the salaah missed
during Haidh. Its necessity is waived by Allah’s I command.

MAS'ALAH 2 : If Haidh begins during salaah, do not complete the

salaah, but break it immediately. If it is a fardh salaah, it is pardoned
and there is no qadha for it, but in the case of Sunnah and Nafl it
becomes necessary to perform the qadha after the Haidh is over and
when she is pure. According to the Madhab of Imam Shafi’e (R.A.), the
fardh salaah must be broken, and qadha of it must be offered. The nafl
salaah need not be repeated.

MAS'ALAH 3 : If Haidh starts during the time of salaah and if that salaah
was not performed, it is forgiven and qadha is not necessary. If a time of
salaah elapsed and it wasn’t performed, and then Haidh started, then
the salaah missed will necessarily have to be performed after the haidh
subsides.

MAS'ALAH 4 : If Haidh is over before a salaah time ends and there is so

little time left only for a bath and takbirut-tahrimah (the first "Allahu
Akbar" in salaah), then that salaah has become obligatory for her. She
must take a bath and perform the salaah immediately except during
Fajr salaah in which case she must wait till sunrise and offer it as qadha.
If, however she could not take a bath due to preoccupation, then she
must perform salaah as qadha after she has taken her bath. This law
applies only if bleeding is over in less than ten days (this is not a
condition for followers of the Shafi’i Madhab). If bleeding stops at the end
of the tenth day at such a moment that there is no time for a bath but
there is only little time to say "Allahu Akbar" and the time for that salaah
goes by, then this salaah becomes compulsory and must be offered as
qadha. After taking a bath she must perform this qadha salaah first and
thereafter the normal salaah of that time should be performed.

MAS'ALAH 5 : If one hears a Qur'anic verse of Sajdah during Haidh,

sajdah is not compulsory.

MAS'ALAH 6 : If a woman with a seven day Haidh habit bleeds for more
than seven days, then she must observe caution. If it stops before ten
days, she should have a bath and offer salaah from then on. All these days
are of Haidh and qadha is not necessary. But if bleeding continues after
ten days, then the seven days of habit are Haidh and the remaining are
Istihadhah. This is the reason why she must have a bath immediately after
ten days have passed and start perforrming salaah. She must also offer
qadha salaah for the last three days.

MAS'ALAH 7 : If any woman menstruates for less than her normal

habit, e.g. her habit was for seven days and her bleeding stopped after
five days, then towards the end of the mustahab time of salaah, she
should take a bath and offer her salaah. If she bleeds again within ten
days from the time when she first started bleeding then she must stop
salaah because if it continued for up to ten days or less, all these days
are of Haidh. If bleeding continued for more than ten days, then the
seven days of habit are counted as Haidh and the remaining days are
Istihadhah. She must offer qadha salaah for all days missed after the
seventh day. (We should therefore take account of ourselves and
ensure that we do not neglect our salaah in such circumstances).

MAS'ALAH 8 : If a woman bled for a day or two and then stopped, it

is not necessary for her to bath. She should make wudhu and
perform her salaah. She is not permitted to leave out salaah. If she
started to bleed again within the ten days, then she must stop her
salaah. A mubtadi’ah should have a bath after ten days and start her
salaah. In the case of a mu'tadah, she will be considered to be in
Haidh up to her normal habit. After this she should take a bath and
offer her salaah.

MAS'ALAH 9 : During Haidh, it is mustahab (desirable) for a woman

to make wudhu at the time of every salaah and to sit where she
performs her salaah and occupy herself in Dhikr for the time it
normally takes to complete her salaah so that her habit of
performing salaah remains.

It is related in one hadith that Rasulullah r has, said:

"During Haidh, if a woman reads Istighfar seventy times at the time
of every salaah, then she will get the reward of reading one
thousand raka’at of salaah, seventy of her sins will be forgiven, her
status is raised in the eyes of Allah I and for every letter of Istighfar
she gets a nur (light) and for every vein of the body one Hajj and
Umrah is written."

MAS'ALAH 10 : If bleeding stops within ten days in the case of a

mubtadi’ah or in the case of a mu’tada, if it stops before her normal
habit is complete, then she need not take a bath immediately because
there is a possibility that she may bleed again. She should, out of
caution wait till the mustahab time of that particular fardh salaah
allows her just enough time to take a bath and offer salaah.
HAIDH AND SAUM (FASTING)

MAS'ALAH 1 : Although fasting during Ramadhan remains obligatory

during Haidh, a woman must not fast during this period but it becomes
compulsory for her to observe these as qadha fasts later on.

MAS'ALAH 2 : If the bleeding of Haidh started while she was fasting,

her fast breaks even if there was a very little portion of the fast still left.
Since the fast is not valid it is necessary for her to repeat it, whether it is
fardh or nafl.

MAS'ALAH 3 : If a woman starts menstruating on the day when she was

fasting, thereby causing her fast to break, she must still not eat or drink
anything on that day. It is necessary for her to appear like others - as if
she is fasting.

MAS'ALAH 4 : If bleeding stops after subh sadiq in Ramadhan and

although she has not eaten anything, her fast is not valid even if she
makes an intention to fast. Qadha becomes necessary for that
particular fast as she was unclean for a certain portion of the day.

MAS'ALAH 5 : If bleeding continued for full ten days and ten nights
and stopped just before subh sadiq, leaving no time even to say
takbirut tahrimah, then that particular fast becomes compulsory
for her. She should make an intention and keep the fast. If
however, bleeding stops within ten days and ten nights and there
is time for a quick bath before subh sadiq, then that fast becomes
compulsory; but if there is no time for a bath, then it is not
compulsory to fast that day. In case the fast becomes compulsory,
then she should make an intention and keep the fast. It does not
matter if she takes a bath later on.
HAIDH, HAJJ AND UMRAH

MAS'ALAH 1 : All Hajj activities are allowed during Haidh except

Tawaaf. Tawaaf is not allowed because it is performed in the Masjid for
which the state of purity is a necessary condition for entering and since
a menstruating woman is not in a state of purity, Tawaaf cannot be
performed. Sa’i at Safa and Marwa can also not be performed because
Tawaaf is necessary before Sa’i can be performed except in one case.
Refer to MAS'ALAH 7 in this section.

MAS'ALAH 2 : If a woman is on her way to Hajj and she menstruates,

then there is no harm. She should put or her Ihraam (Hajj clothes),
make intention and read “Labbaik”. If she has the time, she should have a
bath which is Sunnah and then don her Ihraam. It must be remembered
that this bath will not make her clean, but is rather a symbolic gesture.
A similar incident happened to A’ishah y on her way to Hajj.

MAS'ALAH 3 : If a woman dons her Ihraam only for Hajj and if she
reaches Makkah Mukarramah in a state of Haidh, then she must not
perform Tawaaful Qudum (Tawaaf upon entry to Makkah). If she
becomes clean before leaving Makkah for Hajj, she must perform the
Tawaaf. If, however, there is no time and Hajj activities have started, she is
then exempted from Tawaaful Qudum, as it is forgiven. Hajj activities
begin when she leaves for Mina on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah.

MAS'ALAH 4 : Similarly Tawaaful Wida (Tawaaf upon departure) is

wajib (obligatory) before returning from Makkah. If one is
menstruating, it is permissible to leave without performing it, as one is
exempted from this Tawaaf. A similar incident happened to Safiyyah y
But Tawaafuz Ziyarah (Tawaaf of Hajj), which is performed after
returning from Muzdalifah, is compulsory and if she is menstruating
she should wait and perform it when pure, otherwise her Hajj will not
be complete and she cannot come out of the state of Ihraam. Thus a
woman must not leave Makkah for home without executing this
Tawaaf. A penalty dum will not compensate its omission.

MAS'ALAH 5 : If a menstruating woman is unable to perform her

Tawaafuz Ziyarah (fardh Tawaaf of Hajj) because of her impending
departure, then it is permissible for her to resort to medical means to
postpone her Haidh.

NOTE: These days many women stop Haidh and Nifaas through
medicine and injections, this is extremely harmful to their health.
Serious side effects have been reported after using these methods.
Therefore, a woman should avoid resorting to these methods unless it
is absolutely necessary. A woman used these pills to stop her Haidh in
Ramadhan but thereafter when she started bleeding, it continued for
twenty days. Another woman was unable to give birth after using it for
a few years because her Haidh had completely stopped.

MAS'ALAH 6 : If Haidh starts during a nafl, wajib or fardh Tawaaf, she

must stop the Tawaaf and leave the Masjid immediately. It is sinful to
complete the Tawaaf or stay in the Masjid. If she has completed four or
more rounds of the Tawaaf then the Tawaaf is regarded as complete.
She should give Sadaqah for each of the incomplete rounds (this
Sadaqah is same as Sadaqatul Fitr). If less than four rounds are
completed, then the whole Tawaaf is regarded as incomplete and
qadha is necessary when she becomes ceremonially clean.

MAS’ALAH 7 : If the complete Tawaaf or the major part of the

Tawaaf (i.e. four or more rounds) was completed in a state of purity
and then Haidh started and the Sa’i of Safa and Marwa is still to be
done, then she should complete it in a state of Haidh because purity
is not a required condition for Sa’i. She should not perform the
Tahiyyatut-Tawaaf (two rakat salaah after Tawaaf) as she is pardoned
from reading it.
MAS'ALAH 8 : If Haidh started after she had worn the Ihraam for
Umrah and she was unable to perform the Umrah, and the Hajj
activities i.e. going to Mina, Arafah etc., have already started, then she
should cancel the Umrah Ihraam and wear the Hajj Ihraam and begin
the actions of Haj. She will have to perform qadha of Umrah later and
she will have to give "dum" for cancelling the Umrah Ihraam. A similar
incident happened to A’ishah y The Umrah Ihraam is cancelled by first
making an intention to cancel the Ihraam and then she must undo her
hair and comb it. The "dum" is given by either sacrificing one goat or
one part (one seventh) of a big animal (e.g. cow, camel etc.) which are
subject to the same laws as Qurbani.

HAIDH AND THE QUR’AN

MAS'ALAH 1 : It is not permissible to read the Qur'an during Haidh.

According to some Ulama (learned scholars), a woman is allowed to
read less than an ayah (verse) in parts, in separate breaths but not the
full ayah at one time. (This is in the instance of her teaching Qu’ran, it is
not a manner she should adopt for Tilawah).

MAS'ALAH 2 : If a woman is teaching others while in a state of Haidh,

she is allowed only to spell the words but she should take care not to
recite the ayah at one time. She should read the ayah in separate
breaths and in parts.

MAS'ALAH 3 : It is permissible for a woman during Haidh to read

"Bismillahir-rahmanir-rahim" and “Alhamdulliliahi-rabbil-
aalameen", while eating or drinking because here the object is not to
recite the Qur'an but the object is to obtain barakah (blessings) express
shukr (thanks) or du`a (supplication).

MAS'ALAH 4 : She is not allowed to touch any object on which an

ayah of the Qur'an is written. She is however, allowed to touch those
books in which the verses of the Qur'an are less than the actual subject
matter in the book, but she is not allowed to touch the actual verse of
the Qur'an.

MAS'ALAH 5 : She is not allowed to touch any utensil, plate or piece of

paper on which only an ayah of the Qur'an is written. She is, however
allowed to touch these utensils etc, with a piece of cloth.

MAS'ALAH 6 : She is allowed to hold the Qur'an with a cover which

can be separated from and is not sewn to the Qur'an. Similarly, she is
allowed to touch the Qur'an with any other piece of cloth which is
separate and which she is not wearing. She is not allowed to touch the
Qur'an if it only has a cover which is sewn and attached to it or with any
clothes which she is wearing, like a scarf, or a sleeve or a dress etc.

HAIDH AND DHIKR

MAS'ALAH 1 : It is permissible to make Dhikr of Allah I and send

Salawat to Rasulullah r (Durud) and make Istighfar (repentance) or
read any other wazaif during menstruation. She should be constant in
her usual Dhikr. She should not recite the Qur’an at all but she may
recite du’a (supplications) for different occasions and tasbihat. She
may also recite the relevant verses of Du’a which are quoted from the
Qur'an when making Du’a e.g. "Rabbana aatinaa fid-dunya
hasanataw wa-fil aakhirati hasanataw wa-qina adhaaban naar”
Baqarah 201

MAS'ALAH 2 : She may touch the paper on which these du’a are
written but not the actual words. She is also allowed to read, teach or
touch all other religious books but it is not desirable to touch these
books unnecessarily. She must not touch the actual Ayaat of the Qur’an
which appear in these books. It should be remembered that in this
state of impurity (Haidh) she should try and remain clean and occupy
herself in Dhikr, Du’a, Salawat (Durud), Istighfar, etc. In this way she
will be rewarded additionally, Insha-Allah.

HAIDH AND THE MASJID

MAS'ALAH 1 : It is not permissible to enter a Masjid during Haidh. She

must leave the Masjid as soon as bleeding starts.

MAS'ALAH 2 : During Haidh, she is allowed to either give something

into or take something from a Masjid, by means of stretching her hand
from outside the Masjid. According to the Madhab of Imam Shafi’e
(R.A.) women are allowed to walk through a Masjid or its courtyard,
provided that there is no fear of contamination, but to remain therein
or to sit down is prohibited.

MAS'ALAH 3 : During Haidh she must not, under any circumstances,

enter Masjidun Nabawi even for the purpose of conveying Salaam. She
may, however, offer Salaam from that portion towards Baab Jibril u
but outside of the masjid. She is allowed to read Durud and Salaam
during Haidh. (Janazah salaah is now performed in the Masjid. The
section, mentioned above is on the left side, just before entering the
Masjid from the Baab Jibril u).

MAS'ALAH 4 : If she is helpless and out of absolute necessity e.g.

Allah I forbid, if thieves break into her house or if there is fire or
flood and there is no other place of refuge or shelter besides the
Masjid, then she is allowed to stay in the Masjid in a state of Haidh
after performing a bath, or in the absence of water, tayammum (to
obtain cleanliness by means of earth).

HAIDH AND THE HUSBAND

MAS'ALAH 1 : During Haidh, it is permissible for a woman to live, sit,

eat, drink, etc with her husband.

MAS'ALAH 2 : It is haram to have sexual intercourse during Haidh. She

is, however, allowed to sleep with, fondle, love and caress the husband
but she must keep her body covered from her navel to her knee to
provide no possibility of sexual intercourse which is haram (forbidden)
during Haidh and is considered a major (kabirah) sin. If, Allah I forbid,
sexual intercourse takes place during Haidh, then it is necessary to
make TAWBAH and Istighfar (repentance) and it would be good that
Sadaqah (charity) be given.

MAS'ALAH 3 : If the days of Haidh are according to her habit, and the
husband wishes to have sexual intercourse and the wife says that her
Haidh has started, then it is necessary for her husband to believe her
even if the wife is not religiously inclined.

MAS'ALAH 4 : If Haidh stops after ten days are complete, then it is

permissible to have sexual intercourse before she has taken her bath,
though it is better after the bath. If bleeding stops before ten days, then
sexual intercourse is not allowed before she has taken a bath. If,
however, one fardh salaahs time has passed, i.e. one fardh salaah
has now become qadha on her after the bleeding has stopped and
up till then she has not taken her bath, then too, it is permissible to
have sexual intercourse with her.

MAS'ALAH 5 : If bleeding stops before her normal habit, e.g. she has a
seven day bleeding habit and this time bleeding stops after five days,
she should have a bath just a little while before the time of that
particular salaah ends and she should start offering her salaah. It is,
however, Makruhut Tahrimi (highly abominable, bordering Haram) for
the husband to have sexual intercourse before the end of her normal
habit, i.e. seven full days in this case. Similarly, if these are the days of
her Haidh according to her usual habit, but bleeding only continued
for one or two days and stopped, then too, the husband should not
have sexual intercourse with her because there is a possibility that she
may start bleeding again. However, she should make wudhu and start
performing her salaah.

HAIDH AND MISCARRIAGE

If no part of the foetus has yet been formed but only thick blood or
flesh-like substance is discharged as a result of miscarriage or an
abortion performed only due to a condition allowed in Shariah, then
this is not regarded as the birth of a child and whatever bleeding results'
from this is not regarded as nifaas (bleeding after childbirth). If a
woman remained clean for fifteen days or more before this miscarriage
or abortion and if this bleeding continued for three days or more, then
it should be regarded as Haidh and all laws concerning Haidh will
apply to her. If this bleeding stops within three days and does not
appear again, then it should be regarded as Istihadhah.

BATH AFTER HAIDH

While bathing after Haidh, it is important that the entire body, and
especially the vaginal area are washed thoroughly by rubbing with a
piece of cloth, skin or cotton-wool so much so that no trace of dry
blood is left. A woman y of the Ansaar asked Rasulullah r about this
bath, and was advised to take the above-mentioned precautions, and
in one tradition the ladies have been asked to apply some perfume
(non-alcoholic) around the area where bleeding takes place so that
there will not be the slightest odour of blood. It is therefore, advisable
to apply some perfume if circumstances permit. In this bath, not a
single part of the body must be left dry, otherwise the bath will be
incomplete. If the hair is tied or plaited, then it is not necessary to untie
it. It is quite sufficient if the roots of the hair are made wet and washed,
but it is better if the hair is undone and washed thoroughly. The
method of bathing is that the hands be washed first and then all
impurities that are on the body be removed. Then make wudhu
according to the sunnah way and wash the whole body.

The faraidh (plural of "fardh") of bath are:

1. To gargle the mouth up to the throat. If one fasts, one shouldensure
that. no water goes into the stomach otherwise the saum (fast)will
break;
2. To rinse the nostrils, ensuring water reaches the boney part.
3. To wash the whole body (male or female) making sure that not a
single hair is left dry, taking special care that the private parts are
thoroughly wet, especially when one stands and takes a bath.

Some Ulama have mentioned that many people are unaware of this
fact. Thus woman should take particular care so as to ensure that water
reaches into the foreskin of the vagina. If water does not penetrate
there, then the ghusl will not be valid.

NIFAAS (POST-NATAL BLEEDING)

MAS'ALAH 1 : Bleeding from the vagina after childbirth is called

Nifaas. Its maximum period is forty days and if bleeding continues for
more than forty days, the extra days are not regarded as nifaas but
Istihadhah. There is no minimum period for nifaas. It may last for either
one day or a little while and sometimes a woman may not even bleed a
single drop after a child is born and placenta released. It is,
nevertheless, obligatory (wajib) under all circumstances to have a bath
after childbirth. She must bath as soon as bleeding stops and if she did
not bleed after childbirth, then she should bath as soon as the time of
the next salaah begins. If, during this time, there is fear that she may get
sick by bathing or she has not the strength to bath, then she must make
Tayammum with the intention of taking a bath and perform salaah.
However, she must still take a bath when she is fit and there is no fear of
her falling sick.

NOTE: The general impression is that Nifaas is for the full forty days
whereas this is the maximum period not the exact marked period. Due
to this wrong impression salaah, etc. Is unfortunately neglected.

MAS'ALAH 2 : Bleeding which commences upon the emergence of

half or more of the child in the process of birth, is Nifaas. Salaah at this
time is forgiven. But bleeding which occurs after half the infant has
emerged, is Istihadhah. Salaah of that particular time remains
compulsory. (The benefit of this differentiation can be seen in
prolonged childbirth).

MAS'ALAH 3 : A woman who has experienced Nifaas previously and

on the second occasion the bleeding pattern is different to her
previous habit, e.g. she bled for twenty-five days the first time, and on
the second occasion she bled for less or more, e.g. thirty-five days. This
is still regarded as Nifaas. If on the second occasion, she bled for more
than forty days, then whatever extra days she bled beyond her habit is
Istihadhah, e.g. the first time she bled for twenty-five days and the
second time she bled for more than forty days, then after the fortieth
day she should take a bath and begin performing salaah while the
fifteen days, which are more than her habit of twenty-five days, are
regarded as Istihadhah. She must perform qadha salaah for these
fifteen days. Her bathing upon completion of the forty days makes her
clean and whenever the bleeding stops after the forty days, it is not
necessary to bath because it is Istihadhah.

MAS'ALAH 4 : In the case of the birth of twins, the bleeding which

takes place after the first child is born, is regarded as Nifaas. (If the
second child is born within six lunar months of the first i.e. From the
same pregnancy, then they would be regarded as twins).

MAS'ALAH 5 : If she notices blood within forty days after remaining in

a state of purity, then the whole period of forty days is counted as
Nifaas, e.g. bleeding continued for twenty days and then stopped for
ten days and again appeared for ten days, all of it is regarded as Nifaas.
She should, nevertheless, have a bath and start salaah when bleeding
stops after twenty days as a precautionary measure. If however,
bleeding appears again within forty days she should stop reading
salaah and when bleeding stops again, she should take a bath and start
performing salaah again.

MAS'ALAH 6 : If a woman experiences Nifaas for the first time and it

continues for a long period, then the first forty days are counted as
Nifaas and the remaining bleeding thereafter is regarded as Istihadhah.
She should in any case take a bath after forty days and start performing
salaah.

MAS'ALAH 7 : When Nifaas ends, there should be a minimum gap of

fifteen clean days; before any subsequent bleeding can be regarded as
menstruation i.e. any further bleeding can only be regarded as
menstruation, if she remains clean for fifteen days after the nifaas has
stopped. If bleeding starts again within fifteen days, then it will not be
regarded as Haidh, but Istihadhah. Any bleeding within forty days is
Nifaas even if it may be after a gap of fifteen days from the first bleeding
e.g. if she bleeds for a day and then again bleeds after thirty days then
too all these days are of Nifaas.

NIFAAS AND SALAAH

MAS'ALAH 1 : Salaah is pardoned during Nifaas, and no qadha salaah

is necessary thereafter.
MAS'ALAH 2 : If Nifaas begins at the time of a salaah, then that salaah
is pardoned. If Nifaas stops at the end of forty days and so ever little
time remains that only "Allahu Akbar" could be said, then that salaah
becomes compulsory. She should have a bath and perform qadha of
that salaah. If the bleeding stops before forty days and there is time for
a quick bath in which she confines herself to discharge the faraidh of
GhusI only and time to say i.e. Allahu Akbar, then that salaah becomes
compulsory. She must take a bath and start her salaah. If she has no
time to do this, then that salaah is pardoned. If salaah has become
compulsory, she should take her bath and start her salaah. If there is
time, then her salaah is counted as Ada (on its proper time) and if not, it
will be counted as qadha. There will be no difference in the intention
of her qadha and Ada salaah. If she had very little time and while
reading salaah, the time of that particular salaah had expired and the
time of the next salaah had already begun, then too, there is no harm.
Her salaah will be deemed to have been completed. This law will
apply in all salaah, except Fajr salaah, which breaks when the sun rises
while she is still reading her salaah. Therefore, she should perform her
Fardh of Fajr only if she has enough time to complete it before sunrise
and leave out her sunnah. She can perform her sunnah after the sun
rises and there would be no sin for it in this case. Qadha is necessary for
Fardh and Witr only. If she has not enough time to perform her fardh
before sunrise, then it should be performed after the sunrise, with the
sunnah. This should be done before Zawal.

NIFAAS AND SAUM (FASTING)

MAS'ALAH 1 : Saum can not be observed during Nifaas. However,

qadha saum (fasts) should be kept afterwards as fasting is not pardoned.

MAS'ALAH 2 : Saum breaks when a child is born and Nifaas begins.

Qadha saum is necessary later. She may take food and medicine, if
necessary, otherwise she should remain and appear as if she is fasting.
MAS'ALAH 3 : If she becomes purified from Nifaas after dawn in
Ramadhan, she should not fast on that day but observe qadha
later. However, she should refrain from eating or drinking (in
public) and be like those who are fasting. If she becomes clean
before subh sadiq after having Nifaas for full 40 days and if there is
time for saying "Allahu-Akbar", then she must make the intention and
observe the fast on that day. It does not matter if she takes a bath after
subh sadiq. If Nifaas stops within forty days, she should observe saum
because it becomes compulsory on that day so long as there is time for
a quick bath and the saying of Takbirut Tahrimah. If she does not have
such time, then she should not fast on that day. If she fasts, then she will
be a sinner. She should however, remain like those who are fasting and
offer qadha later.

MAS'ALAH 4 : When she is not fasting and she has been ordered to be
like those who are fasting, if she eats and drinks on that day, then this
will be improper. Nevertheless, there will be no kaffarah (expiation-
penalty) and nothing will become wajib on her. She will only have to
fulfil the qadha fast which is obligatory upon her.

MAS'ALAH 5 : If the life of a pregnant woman or the child is in danger,

then she is allowed to break her fast (and in such circumstances qadha
alone will be sufficient as expiation).

MAS'ALAH 6 : If her life or the life of the infant of a pregnant or breast-

feeding woman is in danger, then she should not fast. She must offer
qadha later.

NIFAAS AND THE QUR’AN

Laws regarding the touching of the Qur'an during nifaas are the same
as those of menstruation. (see section entitled "Haidh and the
Qur’an").
NIFAAS, HAJJ AND UMRAH

MAS'ALAH 1 : The laws for Nifaas are the same as the laws of
menstruation regarding Hajj and Umrah. All activities except Tawaaf
are allowed. (See section on "Haidh, Hajj and Umrah").

MAS'ALAH 2 : Only fully completed rounds of Tawaaf are recognised

and incomplete rounds are not valid, e.g. if she had completed three
full rounds of the Tawaaf and in the fourth round she had labour pains
and could not complete it, then the Tawaaf would not be valid as she
had completed only three rounds.

MAS'ALAH 3 : If Sa’i of Safa and Marwa had become necessary after a

Tawaaf but she could not complete it due to labour pains, then she
must repeat both the Tawaaf and the Sa’i at a later date.

MAS'ALAH 4 : For the Sa’i of Safa and Marwa to be regarded as

complete, four or more rounds, are essential and the Sadaqah must be
given for all incomplete rounds. If less than four rounds of Sa’i were
done, then she must repeat both the Tawaaf and the Sa’i. If the Tawaaf
and the Sa’i were completed and she could not perform the two
rakaats of Tahiyyatut Tawaaf (salaah after Tawaaf), then the Tawaaf will
be regarded as complete. She is pardoned from the Tahiyyatut Tawaaf.

MAS'ALAH 5 : If the major part of the Tawaaf or Sa’i was done, both
are accepted as completed according to shari’ah; but if she repeats
both after attaining the state of purity, then it is better than giving
Sadaqah and in such a case it is not necessary to give Sadaqah.

NIFAAS AND DHIKR

The laws regarding Dhikr during Nifaas are the same as those of
menstruation (see section titled "Haidh and Dhikr”).
All Dhikr and wazaif are allowed during Nifaas. In fact, wazaif will
protect one from the mischief of Shaytan who becomes more active
whilst one is in a state of impurity. One should not abstain from Dhikr
under any circumstances. The child that is to be born will benefit a
great deal spiritually through the mother’s Dhikr. If she cannot
make Dhikr, then she should make an intention that as soon as she gets
the strength she will do so. She will be rewarded for this intention also.

NIFAAS AND THE MASJID

The laws regarding Nifaas and the masjid are the same as those of
menstruation (see section titled "Haidh and the Masjid').

NIFAAS AND THE HUSBAND

The laws regarding Nifaas and the husband are the same as those of
menstruation except that the maximum period here is forty days and
in Haidh ten days (see section "Haidh And the husband').

NIFAAS AND MISCARRIAGE

If some features of the foetus (fingers, nails, hair etc.) have already been
formed, then the bleeding that follows miscarriage is regarded as Nifaas
and the laws concerning Nifaas will now become applicable to her. A
bath will become compulsory when bleeding stops and until then,
salaah, saum, tilawah of the Qur'an and sexual intercourse are forbidden.

BATH AFTER NIFAAS

A woman must have a bath after Nifaas in the same way as a bath after
menstruation. Wash the hands and then the vagina and its surrounding
area thoroughly with soap and water. After making istinja (washing of
the private parts), perform wudhu according to the Sunnah. It is fardh
(compulsory) to gargle the mouth and to pour water in the nostrils till
the cartilage (soft bone) of the nose is made wet, then wash the head
and the body thoroughly with soap and water. Thereafter one will be
regarded as clean.

Although the Nifaas may have stopped before forty days, quite often,
many women remain in this state of impurity till the forty days and
regard themselves as impure. This is absolutely wrong, it is Haram
(forbidden) to stay in this condition after bleeding has stopped. When
bleeding stops and she feels she will not bleed again then she should
take a bath and start with salaah.

It has also been noticed that in many places at the time off the wedding
it is regarded as absolutely necessary for another to give her the “last
bath" and some women do all sorts of strange things during this final-
bath. These are all ignorant, baseless, superstitious and wrong
customs. It is also senseless to bath daily and have this ‘last bath’. If
bathing daily has been found to be beneficial through experience or is
prescribed by some doctor, then it is a different matter.

ISTIHADHAH (BLEEDING DUE TO ILLNESS)

MAS'ALAH 1 : During menstruation, if a woman bleeds for less than

three days and three nights and then remains clean for fifteen days, it is
regarded as Istihadhah. Surplus bleeding beyond full ten days and ten
nights during menstruation is also regarded as Istihadhah.

MAS'ALAH 2 : Bleeding in the case of girls below nine years of age and
of women above fifty-five years of age after menopause is Istihadhah,
provided that the blood is not very red or black. It should be noted that
if after the age of fifty-five years a woman gets yellow, green or muddy
coloured blood, which is similar to that which she experienced during
her normal periods, then this will be regarded as Haidh, otherwise it
will be Istihadhah.

MAS'ALAH 3 : If a woman has a menstruating habit e.g., seven days

and she menstruates in a particular month for more than ten days then
bleeding beyond her habit period of seven days is counted as
Istihadhah. She should offer qadha salaah for all the extra days after
the seventh day.

MAS'ALAH 4 : Any bleeding during pregnancy is regarded as

Istihadhah.

MAS'ALAH 5 : Bleeding before child-birth and before half the infant is

born is Istihadhah. If half or more of the infant is born then it is Nifaas.

MAS'ALAH 6 : Bleeding beyond forty days and nights from the

commencement of Nifaas is also Istihadhah. If a mu’tadah (woman
who has a habit for Nifaas) bleeds beyond her habit and it exceeds
forty days, then the bleeding beyond her habit is Istihadhah. She must
have a bath after forty days and offer qadha salaah for the days beyond
her habit.

ISTIHADHAH AND WUDHU

MAS'ALAH 1 : It is wajib (obligatory) for a mustahadhah (a woman in

the state of Istihadhah) to make istinja (become clean from the
impurities excreted by the private parts) at the time of every salaah.

MAS'ALAH 2 : A woman who is in Istihadhah will have to make a fresh

wudhu for the time of every fardh salaah. For example a woman is in
Istihadhah, she made wudhu at the time of Asr salaah and up till the
time of Maghrib she did not break her wudhu in any way. Because she
is still bleeding due to Istihadhah, she cannot read her Maghrib salaah
with the wudhu she made for Asr salaah. She has to make fresh wudhu
again for Maghrib salaah. Her wudhu will now last till the time of this
salaah ends. She can, however, perform her Sunnah, Nafl and qadha
salaah before this time ends. Her wudhu will break when this time
ends and the time of the next salaah begins. She then has to make fresh
wudhu. It must be remembered that besides this Istihadhah bleeding,
the wudhu will still break by other factors which normally break the
wudhu. The above ruling is that of all who are Ma’dhur (classified as
afflicted according to Shari’ah).

MAS'ALAH 3 : A Ma’dhur is that person whose wudhu cannot remain

because of certain factors which continually break it, e.g. continual
drops of urine, continual passing of wind, continual oozing of blood or
pus (plasma-matter) from anywhere on the body.

MAS'ALAH 4 : The condition for being regarded as a Ma’dhur is that at

the time of its commencement, one is not in a position to remain with
wudhu for the time needed to complete only one fardh salaah, e.g. if
one started bleeding before zawal and the full time of Zuhr passed by
in this state of bleeding, so much so that there is no time to make
wudhu and perform the fardh salaah, then this person is called a
Ma’dhur.

MAS'ALAH 5 : Thereafter, if such a person bleeds even once at the

time of each salaah they will remain a Ma’dhur. It is not necessary to
bleed continually.

MAS'ALAH 6 : Whenever there is no bleeding for one full salaah time,

then one no longer remains a Ma’zur.

MAS'ALAH 7 : It must be remembered that a woman may be a

mustahadha (in a state of Istihadhah) and yet not be a Ma’dhur because
in Istihadhah it is not necessary for her to bleed continuously, but for a
Ma’dhur, it is a condition to bleed continuously in the beginning and at
least once in every complete salaah time thereafter.

MAS'ALAH 8 : If a mustahadha starts bleeding during a salaah time

and this bleeding continues, then she should make her wudhu
towards the end of the mustahab time and perform her salaah. If she
kept on bleeding throughout the salaah time, so much so that there
was no time for her to perform her fardh salaah, then she will be
regarded as Ma’dhur and she must read her salaah even if she is
bleeding. If she did not bleed during the next salaah time or she was
bleeding but it stopped for a while in which there was enough time
to make wudhu and perform fardh salaah, then she no longer
remains a Ma’dhur; she will have to make qadha of any fardh and
wajib salaah which she may have performed in the current or
previous salaah time. There is no qadha for sunnah or nafl salaah,
e.g. if Asr time sets in at 4.00 pm. and sunset is at 6.00 p.m, but the
mustahab time remains only until 5.30 p.m. and the blood starts
continuously flowing from 4.30 p.m., then she should make wudhu
and perform her salaah just before 5.30 p.m. If the bleeding
continues and the whole Maghrib time passed by without the blood
stopping, then she need not repeat her Asr salaah; but if it stops
during Maghrib time, even for a short while in which, it is possible to
make wudhu and perform the fardh salaah, then she would have to
repeat the fardh of Asr.

MAS'ALAH 9 : If one is afraid that drops of urine may drip involuntarily,

then it is advisable to prevent it by putting cotton wool on the opening
of the private part. The wudhu will not break unless the effect of the
urine shows out on the cotton wool. In fact, people suffering from such
diseases or those who are doubtful as to whether drops are coming
out, should take these precautions.

MAS'ALAH 10 : If one's urine drips, then it is wajib (obligatory) to

change the underwear or wash that portion with which the urine
makes contact at the time of every salaah.

ISTIHADHAH AND IBADAH

MAS'ALAH 1 : All prayers are allowed during Istihadhah. It is

compulsory to perform salaah. If bleeding is continuous, a fresh wudhu
is necessary at the time of every salaah. If clothes become impure
(polluted) due to bleeding then one should keep a separate set of clean
clothes which is worn only for salaah and removed immediately after
it. If the clothes are soiled during salaah, then there is no harm and the
salaah will be completed. One must however, wash any blood-stain on
the body and cloths before each salaah. If any cotton wool, which is
placed where the bleeding takes place, becomes soiled with blood.
Then she should remove it and replace it with clean cotton wool for
the next salaah. After salaah, it is not necessary to see whether she
bled or not because even if she did bleed, her salaah will still be
regarded as complete.

MAS'ALAH 2 : Saum, Hajj, Umrah, Tawaf, Sa’i, performing itikaf,

touching and reading the Qur'an are allowed during Istihadhah.
Hence, there is no difference between a mustahadha and a clean
woman in the enacting of Allah's I commandments.

MAS'ALAH 3 : It is better for her to use cotton wool etc. if this stops the
blood from flowing out during salaah. Similarly it is correct for her to
sit than to stand and read her salaah if this prevents the blood from
flowing out during salaah.

ISTIHADHAH AND THE MASJID

MAS'ALAH 1 : A mustahadha is considered tahir (clean), therefore,

she can enter Masjidul Haram and Masjidun Nabawi r. She can also
enter the Rawdhah for Salaam. She should take care not to pollute
(stain) any part of the masjid with blood because one should at all
times prevent the masjid from being polluted. She should place
cotton wool or sanitary pads etc. at the place of bleeding for safety.

ISTIHADHAH AND THE HUSBAND

Sexual intercourse is allowed during Istihadhah even if she is bleeding

because the shariah considers her to be in a state of purity. There is no
sin in having sexual intercourse during Istihadhah. The purity in this
state is Hukmi.

JANABAH
(IMPURITY DUE TO SEXUAL INTERCOURSE ETC)
MAS'ALAH 1 : A bath is compulsory after sexual intercourse and the
couple will remain impure until they have had a bath. This state of
impurity is called Janabah. There are many laws regarding this but we
shall try to cover the subject very briefly.

MAS'ALAH 2 : The moment the head of the male private part unites
with the female private part, then ghusl becomes wajib on both the
husband and wife, even if full entry does not takes place and no sperm
is released. Similarly, ghusl becomes wajib when the private part is
inserted into the anus. However, this action is totally haram and the
punishment for it is very severe. It is related in the Hadith by Abu
Hurairah t who narrates from Rasulullah r
"Cursed is he who comes unto his wife through her anus.”

MAS'ALAH 3 : One is allowed to eat, drink, and sleep in a state of

Janabah but it is better to wash the private parts and make wudhu
before eating, drinking or sleeping. If wudhu is not made, Tayammum
should be performed. In this way the degree of impurity will be
reduced. There is no sin in eating, drinking or sleeping without doing
the above. It is not permissible to be in this impure state for so long as to
miss a salaah. The Angels of blessing do not enter such a house. The
genitals (private parts) must be washed before having a second act of
sexual intercourse and wudhu should also be made but there is no sin if
wudhu is left out.

JANABAH AND THE QUR’AN

It is forbidden to touch or read the Qur’an during Janabah. The same

laws, regarding the Qur’an during menstruation and Nifaas, are
applicable here also. If one is not in a state of Janabah, one may recite
the Qur'an without wudhu but one must not touch it.

JANABAH AND DHIKR

Dhikr and wazaif are allowed in the state of Janabah but it is better not
to do so because one can become free of Janabah whenever one
wishes to; whereas, in the case of Haidh and nifaas, a woman can only
become pure after the bleeding has stopped. It is against etiquette to
make Dhikr in a state of Janabah. Therefore, it is better to do so after a
bath. Nevertheless, masnun du’a (appropriate du'a for special
occasions) such as for sleeping, when waking up, wearing clothes,
entering the toilet, etc. may be read in the state of Janabah.

JANABAH AND THE MASJID

One is forbidden to enter a Masjid in the state of Janabah. The same

laws that apply to Haidh and Nifaas are also applicable here. One is not
allowed to go into the basement of a Masjid as it is included as part of
the Masjid. Sexual intercourse is prohibited in the Masjid. If a bath
becomes compulsory while in the Masjid, then leave the Masjid
immediately after making tayammum, even if one is in I'tikaf.
BATH AFTER JANABAH

MAS'ALAH 1 : The same laws apply here as those of Haidh and Nifaas.
Particular care should be taken when washing the private parts,
making sure that no trace is left of any semen (sperm) which may have
stuck to the body and dried up. No part of the body should remain dry
otherwise ghusl (bath) will not be valid. Gargling up to the throat and
drawing of water up to the cartilage of the nostrils are compulsory.
Particular care should be taken that water reaches into the navel,
under rings, earrings, etc.

MAS'ALAH 2 : If the sperm of the husband emerges from the vagina of

the wife after she has had a bath, then it is not necessary to repeat the
bath but washing it off will suffice.

MAS'ALAH 3 : A woman must ensure that water penetrates through

the foreskin of the vagina, otherwise her ghusl will not be valid.

MAS'ALAH 4 : If, for some reason or other, a woman has to apply

medicine in her vagina or a nurse applies it, then ghusl does not
become necessary.

MAS'ALAH 5 : It is makruh to pass urine in the nude. It is also

undesirable to bath in the nude.

MAS'ALAH 6 : It is makruh to bath or urinate while facing the Qibla. It

is also makruh to have one's back towards the Qibla in this state.
Speaking should also be avoided in the state of one's satr not being
covered.

WOMAN AND SATR

MAS'ALAH 1 : It is essential in salaah that a woman has her whole body

covered with the exception of her face, hands (till the wrists) and feet
(till the ankles). Besides these three, if any other part of the body is
exposed during salaah, for a period in which It is possible to read
Subhanallah three times then the salaah will break. It is desirable to
always cover, even these parts, to be safe from mischief even when not
performing salaah.

MAS'ALAH 2 : For women the term ghair mahram are all those with
whom nikah is allowed under some circumstances including such
people who are generally considered close relatives e.g. husband's
brothers, sisters’ husbands, paternal cousins (father's nephews),
maternal cousins (mother's nephews). It is forbidden and haram to
uncover any part of her body or to come in the presence of a ghair
mahram. If all the above is forbidden in the presence of close relatives.
then we can imagine how strongly it is prohibited in the presence of
outsiders. It is prohibited to sit and talk alone to a ghair mahram.

MAS'ALAH 3 : A woman should cover her satr even in the presence of

another muslim woman. In this case, the area between the navel and
the knees is the limit.

NOTE: Some women do not consider it necessary to cover their satr in

the presence of other women despite it being forbidden.

MAS'ALAH 4 : A woman should not expose her body unnecessarily

before a doctor or a midwife.

MAS'ALAH 5 : A woman must not expose or open her satr in the

presence of non-Muslim women this too is imperishable.

TREATMENT AND SATR

MAS'ALAH 1 : If medicine needs applying during pregnancy on the

stomach, etc. by a nurse or midwife, then it is not permissible to expose
the portion below the navel; it should be covered with a sheet, etc.

MAS'ALAH 2 : A nurse or a midwife can see the area below the

navel during birth for the necessary period only. To see beyond
that period is prohibited. It is also not permissible for any other
woman to see those parts, even though it may be her mother or
sister, as there is no need for it. The practice of taking her clothes
off during birth in the presence of other women is totally Haram.

MAS'ALAH 3 : It is Haram to expose the face to a non-muslim make

nurse or midwife. In addition a believing woman can only expose her
face and hands up to the wrist as well as her feet up to the ankles to a non-
believing woman. It is immaterial whether she is a nurse, noblewoman or
a maid. To expose even one hair unnecessarily is improper. It is a practice
of some people to call a doctor instead of a nurse. How can it be
permissible for a person of the opposite sex to see the satr of a woman
when a person of the same sex is allowed to see the satr only when the
necessity arises? It should also be borne in mind that experienced
midwives are easily available, and there is no need for a male doctor.

MAS'ALAH 4 : The greater the difference the stricter the rules

regarding the satr. Two believing women are regarded to be of the
same nature; therefore, on such occasions, believing women should
be engaged, if available, to do this work of a midwife. If not, then only
should non-believing women be consulted.

MAS'ALAH 5 : If a wound, etc. has to be treated, then only the

actual portion which has to be treated, can be exposed. It is not
permissible to expose more than that which is necessary, to anyone.

MAS'ALAH 6 : If the doctor is a Muslim lady, then a woman cannot

expose the part between the navel and the knees unnecessarily. If
some portion thereof has to be treated, then only that particular
portion can be exposed, not the whole part.

MAS'ALAH 7 : A simple method of keeping the other parts covered is

to wear some old clothes and to cut off that portion which
corresponds with the wound, etc. that has to be treated. The other
parts will remain covered by adopting this method, Insha-Allah.

WOMAN AND HER DRESSING

MAS'ALAH : It is forbidden for a woman to don such a thin revealing

dress or show her hair or any part of her body to a ghair-mahram. If
she does so, she will be considered naked according to the shari’ah
and liable for punishment. She is allowed to do so only in the
presence of her husband or mahram (one she cannot marry) or in
such a house where nobody besides her husband or mahram lives.
But she is not allowed to do so the moment she comes in the
presence of a ghair-mahram or the moment she leaves the house.
The design of the dress should be such that other parts, except the
three mentioned above, are not revealed. Women, who don dresses
which reveal these parts, are cursed and condemned by the shariah.
Believing women can understand where fashion leads.

WOMAN AND HIJAB (VEIL)

MAS'ALAH : The law of Hijab requires that the whole female body
from head to feet, including the face, be concealed in the presence
of Ghair-Mahram. A woman should not emerge from the home
unnecessarily. If she has to, due to some need, then she should cover
her face and body with an outer garment, e.g. burqah, so that the
face and shape of the body are not exposed. The wearing of the veil
is wajib according to the Shari’ah.
WOMEN AND HAYA (MODESTY)

A woman’s modesty is more important than her, physical superficial

beauty and shape. In fact, her real worth lies in her modesty. If she is
modest, then people will like her in every respect and if she is not
modest, then she will have no value in the eyes of any respectable
man. Even her beauty will have no value. Modesty has been highly
regarded in Islam. In one Hadith, Rasulullah r said:
“Modesty is a branch of Iman”.

In another Hadith it is said:

“Modesty is good in every respect.”

A wise man has said:

“When you do not have modesty anymore, then do as you please”.

In describing the good qualities of a woman, Allah, has placed great

importance in the Qur'an regarding modesty. In one place Allah says,
“Women with downcast eyes”.

Faults can be hidden through modesty and if she will expose herself,
then her good qualities will also have no value. Therefore, it is very
important for her to preserve modesty.

WOMEN AND CHILDREN

The proper upbringing of children is one of the most important duties

of the mother because the mother's lap and the home environment are
the first madrassahs (school) of the child. It is the mother's zeal,
enthusiasm and eagerness, and the home environment that decide
how much good will come into the child, because all of these have a
great impact on the child. From the time she is pregnant till she stops
breast-feeding. She should endeavour to maintain cleanliness and
purity, both physically and spiritually. If the mother's mannerism and
actions are bad, then they will have negative effects on the child. It
is therefore, very important that the mother rear the child in an Islamic
fashion. She should take great care not to do any undesirable act in
front of the child, thinking that the child does not understand anything.
The child will notice it and sooner or later, will also adopt it.

It is for this reason why many Ulama have said that the first six years are
most important in a child's life and they determine the future. This view
is supported by the Hadith too. Inculcating good habits and manners,
as well as upholding the importance of Islam and true Islamic practices
(as opposed to one’s own opinions of what Islam says) will all
contribute towards the upbringing of a champion and leader.

WOMEN AND THE HUSBAND

Mutual respect and love command a happy marriage. For this to

materialise, each spouse must understand their role in the family, and
under no circumstance take command of the others role. Thus Islam
orders that the woman be under the man, not in a master-slave
relationship, but guardian-guarded relationship. This is not a means of
putting the woman to slavery, but it is in order to establish the role of
both spouses. The fact that the husband must take the leadership role
and provide for the family is a fact that is not only accepted in Islamic
societies, but in all societies without exception.

Thus obedience to the husband is vital for a woman to keep the

household in order, and to keep these fundamental roles in tact. The
gist of a Hadith of Rasulullah r is that a woman, who offers her salaah
punctually and obeys her husband, will enter Jannah through
whichever door she pleases. As far as the husband-wife relationship is
concerned, it should be the object of life for the wife to do everything
possible to please the husband and remove his sorrows within the limits
of shari’ah. If he likes adornment, beautification and elegance then she
should do so within limits. She should not spend more than what he
earns. She should not be stubborn and should not show dislike for things
which he brings, this is courtesy and understanding, not subjugation.

She should not criticize his relatives. It is unmannerly to become angry

at the husband when he is angry and she should look after the
household belongings and be particular regarding cleanliness. She
should not quarrel with her in-laws. She should always try and serve
him when necessary but she should not ask for any service from him.
She should regard him as superior and conduct herself accordingly.

This is a typical excerpt that a woman would read in most books.

Agreeably it sounds far from fair, (especially the relatives and in-laws
part) but the husband is also commanded to show the same courtesy. It
was the action of the greatest of all creation r to help in the household
chores.

WOMEN AND HER PARENTS

Even after marriage, a woman should keep good relationship with her
parents and make their khidmah (service). She should never go to them
without the husband's permission. She should note two important things:

Firstly, she should not get into the habit of sending things to her parents'
home, even with the husband's permission, because this will slowly
reduce the love and respect of the wife in the husband which will be of
great harm to the woman.

Secondly, she must try to treat and regard her in-laws like her own
parents. This will increase her love, honour and regard in the husband
and it will prove very useful and beneficial to her.
WOMEN AND CHASTITY (FAITHFULNESS)
To protect one’s chastity is the main quality of a woman as the other
good qualities depend on this. Superficially, she may have plenty of
good qualities but, Allah I forbid, if she is not chaste and pure, then
she is considered absolutely useless in the eyes of the shari’ah. In the
Qur’an, Allah I describes the Hur of Jannah:
“Untouched by any man or jinn”

A Hadith summarizes this point,

“The most precious gift of Allah upon a man in this world is that
wife who pleases him a great deal whenever she is in his
presence; and when he is not present, she looks after herself
and his belongings and does not cheat in these two things”.

IDDAH AFTER DIVORCE AND SEPARATION

MAS'ALAH 1: If a woman is divorced or the marriage has broken
down or if the husband dies, then she should stay in the house for
some time and until this time has not passed, she must not go
anywhere nor can she re-marry. This period is called Iddah.

MAS'ALAH 2 : In case of divorce, she should not leave the husband's

house either during the day or by night nor re-marry for three
menstruating periods.

MAS'ALAH 3 : For a divorced girl, whose cycle of menstruation has not

commenced or an elderly woman, whose menstruation has stopped,
the Iddah time is three (lunar) months.

MAS'ALAH 4 : If a woman gets divorced during pregnancy, then she

should wait, until the child is born. This is the Iddah time for her,
regardless of when the child is born.
MAS'ALAH 5: If divorce is given during menstruation, then that
menstruation period is not counted but another three periods should
be allowed to elapse. The husband should remember that it is sinful to
give a divorce when she is menstruating.

MAS'ALAH 6 : A woman who receives three Talaqs (divorces) or

receives one or two Talaq Ba’in (irrevocable divorces) or if her husband
dies, then she should observe mourning during the Iddah period. A
mourning woman is one who is in grief and sorrow; she should avoid
beautifying herself. A woman who has received Talaq Raj’i (revocable
divorce), should beautify herself and try to attract her husband towards
her in Iddah.

IDDAH AFTER HUSBAND'S DEATH

A woman whose husband has died should observe Iddah for four
months (lunar) and ten days and should remain in the same house in
which she lived at the time of the husband's death. In the case of a
pregnant woman. Iddah is over as soon as the child is born, the number
of months are not taken into consideration.

PROPHETIC ADVICE

In one Hadith it has been narrated that Rasulullah r has said that he
saw many women in Jahannam. When asked the reason for this, he
replied that firstly they have a habit of abusing and taunting, and
secondly, they are very ungrateful to their husbands.

When it has been found that the tongue can lead her to Jahannam,
then she should direct all effort to control it and should not abuse and
taunt; she should not be ungrateful to the husband.

One habit which women commonly have is to curse their children,

without realizing that, it may be the exact moment when Allah I
accepts her du’a and her curse will be enacted; this will cause harm in
both the worlds. She must avoid doing this.

Another habit which women also have when they meet, is backbiting.
This does much harm to her religion and she should, therefore, try to
safeguard herself from this. It is very important for a woman to dress at
home according to her normal way and standards, if she has to go out
of the house for some reason then she should be simply dressed and
covered even if other women may look down upon her. If she stays
untidy in the house, then she will lose the love and respect of her
husband. If she beautifies herself and goes out of the house, then
outsiders will cast their gaze on her. It is totally wrong for her to go out
in this manner and it should, therefore, be avoided.

EPILOGUE
1. The laws mentioned in this publication are in very simple language. If
one still has any difficulty in understanding or is simply not sure,
then one must consult an Alim (scholar)or Alimah (female scholar).
2. The example of table prepared to be used for the recording of
menstruation has been entered in this booklet due to the importance
of the laws it entails. Our advice is that dates should be recorded to
avoid sin, as the issue of Fardh salaah is directly related to it.
3. This booklet has been compiled with the purpose of highlighting
many issues which affect women but are generally not known. It is
also detailed and thorough enough to be a reference guide, which
should be constantly referred to in due need. The arrangement of
topics under different headings is for additional ease of use.
4. This booklet has been prepared specially for women but a few laws
are also applicable to men and it is, therefore, advisable that men
should also read the booklet and understand the laws because it is
also their responsibility to explain these laws to their womenfolk.